Rupee at over 2-month lows on shares fall
Rupee at over 2-month lows on shares fall
Mumbai: Rupee dropped to fresh two-month lows on Wednesday afternoon tracking over 1% losses in domestic shares while the dollar’s gains versus major currencies also weighed on sentiment.
“Dollar has recovered versus majors while shares also are extending losses, together weighing on the rupee, but exporters should come in around 45.73/75 levels, capping losses," a senior dealer with a foreign bank said.
At 3:22pm, the partially convertible rupee was at ₹ 45.74/75 per dollar, its weakest since 21 September and below ₹ 45.57/58 at close on Tuesday.
Rupee weakened further on Wednesday as political tensions in North and South Korea weighed down currencies across Asia. Traders said the rupee, which had slid to a two-month low in the previous session, would find support as exporters cash in their dollars.
At 10:35am, the partially convertible rupee was at ₹ 45.65/66 per dollar, compared with Tuesday’s close of ₹ 45.57/58, when it had fallen to ₹ 45.6750, its lowest since 23 September. It should move in ₹ 45.50-80 band during the day, traders said.
“The rupee will mostly be rangebound ... should get supported at lower levels as exporters are selling (dollars)," said a senior dealer at a foreign bank.
On Tuesday, the rupee had pulled off the day’s low following a late recovery in the euro and dollar sales by exporters.
“We expect the dollar to remain rangebound against the Asians. We will also watch the stock market during the day," said a private bank dealer.
The dollar was at 1,146.80 won, after surging to 1,170.90 won earlier from around 1,125 won on Tuesday.
North Korea on Tuesday fired dozens of artillery shells at a South Korean island, killing two soldiers and setting houses ablaze, in one of the heaviest attacks on its neighbour since the Korean War ended in 1953.
The euro edged up from a two-month low on Wednesday, finding support after a massive sell-off sparked by the euro zone debt crisis and heightened tensions in the Korean Peninsula.
The dollar index, which tracks the greenback’s performance against a basket of six major currencies was down 0.20% at 79.525. The index had rallied towards 79.800, its best level since late September in early trade.
Shares flip-flopped in early trade amid weak Asian markets as the Korean tensions weighed on investor sentiment.
Foreign portfolio funds have snapped up a record $28.9 billion worth of Indian equities so far this year, helping the benchmark stock index climb nearly 13 percent and pushing the rupee up 1.9%.
One-month offshore non-deliverable forward contracts were quoted at ₹ 45.91, weaker than the onshore spot rate, suggesting a bearish near-term outlook.
In the currency futures market, the most traded near-month dollar-rupee contracts on the National Stock Exchange, the MCX-SX and the United Stock Exchange were all at ₹ 45.6700. The total traded volume on the three exchanges was moderate at $1.05 billion.
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